Campanula plant named ‘Church Bells’

ABSTRACT

The new and distinct Bellflower plant,  Campanula  plant named ‘Church Bells’ with dense, compact, mounded, upright habit; dark-green lanceolate foliage and numerous violet-purple campanulate flowers over a seven week period clustered at nodes and ends of on upright stems beginning in late June.

Botanical designation: Campanula glomerata L.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Church Bells’.

STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES UNDER 37 CFR 1.77(b)(6)

The non-enabling disclosure of the claimed plant was made by WaltersGardens, Inc. on Feb. 1, 2019 when the claimed plant was displayed as aphotograph with a brief description in a website maintained by WaltersGardens, Inc. Subsequently, the new plant was advertised in the “WaltersGardens 19-20 Catalog” first distributed on May 29, 2019 and the initialsales was on Jul. 8, 2019. Walters Gardens, Inc. obtained the new plantand all information about the new plant from the inventor. No plants ofCampanula ‘Church Bells’ have been sold, in this country or anywhere inthe world as of the filing date of this application, nor has anydisclosure of the new plant been made, more than one year prior thefiling date of this application, and such disclosure within one year waseither derived directly or indirectly from the inventor.

BACKGROUND OF THE PLANT

The present invention relates to the new and distinct clusteredbellflower herein also referred to as Campanula ‘Church Bells’, by thecultivar name, ‘Church Bells’, or as the new plant. The new plant wasderived from seed collected on Oct. 8, 2014 from a plant in an isolationblock, in a research facility in Zeeland, Mich., that was an unreleased,proprietary, selection identified by the breeder code “Lavender”. Thespecific male parent was a sibling of “Lavender”. The single seedlingrepresented by ‘Church Bells’ was selected from a group of seedlings bythe inventor, isolated and compared in subsequent years to otherCampanula and subsequently found to be different from all cultivarsknown to the discoverer and eventually given the breeder code 14-1-4.

Asexual propagation at the same nursery in Zeeland, Mich., USA by basalcuttings has shown ‘Church Bells’ to be stable and reproduce true totype in successive generations since late June 2016.

SUMMARY OF THE PLANT

Campanula ‘Church Bells’ has not been observed in all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary slightly with changesin environments such as light intensity, fertility, water availability,etc. without, however any variation in genotype.

Campanula ‘Church Bells’ is distinct from all cultivars known to theinventor in the following traits:

-   -   1. Narrow serrate foliage with compact height and dense mounded        habit.    -   2. Heavily-branched with violet-purple bell-shaped flowers        clustered at the nodes and ends of upright stems.    -   3. Dark green foliage.    -   4. Long flowering period beginning with concentration in        late-June and continuing for about 7 weeks.

Plants of Campanula ‘Church Bells’ are most similar to ‘Allgentibl’ U.S.Plant Pat. No. 24,687. ‘Freya’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 22,738, ‘Emerald’U.S. Plant Pat. No. 18,343, ‘Allgentitwist’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 25,403,‘Chico Rosa’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 26,834 and ‘Chico Merano’ U.S. PlantPat. No. 26,867. ‘Allgentibl’ is shorter in habit and produces fewerflowers over a shorter period of time. ‘Freya’ has a much larger lesscompact habit in both height and width. ‘Emerald’ is similar in habit,but the flower color is a light purple and the new plants is moreprolific in flowering. ‘Allgentitwist’ has slightly taller habit withwhite sepals. ‘Chico Rosa’ has a slightly taller and much broader habitwith light purple flowers. ‘Chico Merano’ has a broader habit and aslightly different hue of purple flowers. “Lavender” has lavender purpleflowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The color drawings illustrate the overall characteristics of Campanula‘Church Bells’ as a four-year-old plant. The colors are as true asreasonably possible given the technology available. The color values mayvary slightly depending on light intensity and quality.

FIG. 1 shows the new plant in a landscape environment in peak flower.

FIG. 2 shows a close-up of the flowers and buds of the new plant.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following description is based on a four-year-old plant growing in afull-sun trial garden in Zeeland, Mich., USA. Environmental conditionsfor the growing season daytime temperatures range between 12° C. to 35°C., and night temperatures range between 6° C. to 24° C. Except forordinary dictionary color usage, color references are according to TheRoyal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2015 edition. The new planthas not been observed in all possible growing conditions and may vary inphenotypic characteristics based on water availability, lightconditions, fertilizer, temperatures, etc. without varying in genotypiccharacteristics.

-   Parentage: Female or seed parent “Lavender”; male or pollen parent    sibling to “Lavender”;-   Asexual propagation: Cuttings, about 12 to 20 days to initiate    roots; time to finish in a one-gallon container about 9 months;-   Plant habit: Up-right, rounded, herbaceous, winter-hardy, perennial    mound; with heavily branched flower stems up to 41.0 cm tall and    60.0 cm; average about 40.0 cm tall and about 45.0 cm across;-   Leaves: Acaulescent alternate to sub-opposite; cauline opposite and    sessile; simple; lanceolate; adaxial and abaxial pubescent; adaxial    slightly lustrous; abaxial surface matte; acute apex; attenuate    base; margin serrulate and micro-ciliolate; up to 15.5 cm long and    3.8 cm wide, average about 13.0 cm long and 3.0 cm wide;-   Leaf color: Young expanding leaves adaxial nearest RHS 138A and    abaxial nearest RHS 138A; mature leaves adaxial between RHS 137A and    RHS 137B, abaxial between RHS 147C and RHS 147B;-   Veins: Reticulate; glabrous adaxial, sparsely puberulent abaxial;-   Vein color: Adaxial midrib and main veins nearest RHS 145A and    secondary veins nearest RHS 137A, abaxial midrib nearest RHS 145C    and secondary veins nearest RHS 147B;-   Petiole: On basal leaves only; concavo-convex; clasping base;    puberulent adaxial and abaxial; margin ciliolate;-   Petiole color: Adaxial and abaxial margin nearest RHS 146B; adaxial    center between RHS 146D and RHS 145A; abaxial center nearest RHS    146D;-   Flower: Single; perfect; actinomorphic; campanulate; protandrous; on    terminal branches; about 40.0 mm long and about 30.0 mm across at    apex; attitude outright to slightly upright;-   Inflorescence fragrance: Not detected;-   Flowering period: Beginning early summer, for about 7 weeks; up to    90 flowers per stem and 65 flowers per average branched stem, and    about 2,000 flowers per plant;-   Flower longevity: 5 to 7 days;-   Flower buds: One day prior to opening—oblong ellipsoidal; rounded    apiculate apex and rounded base; about 26.0 mm long and 5.0 mm    diameter; heavily fluted longitudinally;-   Flower bud color: One day prior to opening—nearest RHS 90D distally    and proximally nearest RHS 145D; with petals still folded but    separated at apex adaxial nearest RHS N87A and abaxial nearest RHS    N87C;-   Petals: Typically five in single whorl; lanceolate to linear; acute    apex; basal 20.0 mm fused, free and flared in distal 15.0 mm; margin    entire; pubescent in basal 23 mm adaxial and glabrous in distal    portion, glabrous abaxial; about 35.0 mm long and 6.0 mm wide above    fusion;-   Petal color (with no change from opening to maturity): Adaxial    nearest RHS N87B with distal reticulate veins and petal perimeter    between RHS N87A and RHS N87B, adaxial basal 3.0 mm nearest RHS    NN155D with mid-portion nearest RHS 85C; abaxial basal 3.0 mm    nearest RHS NN155D, proximally above base between RHS N82B and RHS    N82C with midrib nearest RHS NN155D in proximal 10.0 mm, middle and    distal portion nearest RHS 95C with midrib also nearest RHS 95C; no    spots are present either adaxial or abaxial; no change in flower    color from opening to maturity;-   Corolla: Single; to about 40.0 mm long and 30.0 mm across; fused in    basal 20.0 mm; fused portion to about 12.0 mm diameter distally and    4.5 mm diameter at base; lobes slightly reflexed to produce nearly    flat face; corolla lobe apices acute;-   Androecium: Typically five;    -   -   Filament.—About 2.0 mm long and flared to 2.0 mm wide at            base and constricted to about 0.3 mm diameter in the distal            1.5 mm; color nearest RHS NN155C.        -   Anther.—Very oblong; basifixed; longitudinal; about 9.0 mm            long and 1.5 mm across; color nearest RHS 18C.        -   Pollen.—Not abundant; color nearest RHS 11D.-   Gynoecium: Single; half-inferior; about 22.0 mm long;    -   -   Style.—Cylindrical; about 20.0 mm long and 0.5 mm diameter;            color between RHS 92D and RHS NN155C.        -   Stigma.—Trifid; decurrent; about 3.0 mm long and 0.5 mm            diameter; color nearest RHS NN155B.        -   Ovary.—Ellipsoidal; about 2.0 mm long and 1.5 mm diameter;            color between RHS 145A and RHS 145B above petals and RHS 11A            beneath petals.-   Calyx: Campanulate; to about 21.0 mm long and 20.0 mm wide at apex;-   Sepals: Five; linear; narrowly acute apex; fused in the basal 6.0    mm; margin serrulate and ciliolate; glabrous adaxial and abaxial;    about 22.0 mm long, about 4.0 mm wide above fusion and 2.0 mm wide    at midpoint;-   Sepal color: Adaxial nearest RHS 137B distally and nearest RHS 138B    proximally, abaxial basal 2.0 mm nearest RHS 145D and distally    nearest RHS 137C;-   Inflorescence: Panicle with flowers arranged in terminal and    axillary clusters; flowering in upper 25.0 cm and 8.5 cm wide;-   Peduncle: About 31 per plant; cylindrical, carinate with    longitudinal angular ridges along sides of leaf attachment;    glabrous; glaucous; upright attitude; strong; heavily-branched;    about 8.0 mm diameter at base and 34.0 cm long; about nine nodes,    average internode spacing about 3.7 cm; branches to about 12.0 cm    long and 4.0 mm diameter at base;-   Peduncle color: Nearest RHS 146C;-   Pedicel: Cylindrical; glaucous; thin, wiry, strong; average about    2.0 mm long and 0.5 mm diameter;-   Pedicel color: Between RHS 145C and RHS 146D;-   Seed: Slightly flattened ellipsoidal; rounded apex and base; surface    glabrous; about 1.0 mm long and 0.7 mm across center;-   Seed color: Variable, some seeds between RHS 165A and RHS 165B;

Campanula ‘Church Bells’ is tolerant of winter temperatures from USDAhardiness at least to zones 4 to 8. The new plant grows best with gooddrainage and adequate moisture. It is not known to be tolerant ofdiseases and pest that are common to other Campanula cultivars.

I claim:
 1. The new and distinct cultivar of Campanula plant named‘Church Bells’ as described and illustrated.